The stem of Psydrax obovata subsp. obovata may be short or long, straight or twisted and up to 46 cm in diameter. Branching on young stems occurs about horizontally, the young branchlets somewhat four-angled. Older stems of large forest trees often become fluted.

The bark is grey, becoming blackish and rough, later flaking longitudinally in narrow strips.

The wood of this tree is hard and fine-grained, slightly aromatic and yellow or red-brown in colour. The stems are used as fence posts, sometimes as a general-purpose timber (Venter, 2012; Coates Palgrave, 2002; Schmidt, et al, 2002; Van Wyk and Van Wyk, 1997; Pooley, 1993; iNaturalist).